Moms Who Pump and Formula Feed?

Jasmine - posted on 11/08/2010
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I am wanting to pump and formula feed my twins when they come, i dont know anything about it. Could you please tell me how you went about it and anything else that could help, im so confused about it and i really want to do it, i just dont see how it can work. I also have a 14 month old to take care of.

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Kirsty - posted on 11/18/2010

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i used to do both, i would formula feed at night to help my little one sleep thru the night and expressed during the day, i had good supply so used to get 200mls of each side, i would express first thing in the morning when your milk is at its best, this should give you at least 2 feeds then i would express again around lunch time then around 4 pm, good luck hope it works out for you

As a mother of twins I'll tell you something.... I never had TIME to pump. On the occasion that I needed to supplement (had a bit of difficulty in the middle of the night in the beginning) I had to use formula except once or twice when I had managed to not only pump, but also have enough milk pumped.

How you choose to feed your babies is entirely your choice, but honestly.... I'd either do breastmilk from the tap or formula from bottles. Caring for newborn twins is stressful and time consuming enough w/out the hassle of the pump.

like Jodi, i am also curious as to why you want to pump, and formula feed. the first 6-8 weeks are the hardest part of breastfeeding but with good support, it is possible to successfully breastfeed twins, even triplets, exclusively! and once you get the hang of it, you can nurse both at the same time!

i exclusively pump for my nearly 1 year old son. it is a lot of work, and very time consuming and i wish that i had worked harder to get my son to take the boob. once breastfeeding is well established, it is actually easier than bottle feeding and studies have shown that women who breastfeed, directly from the breast actually get more sleep than moms who bottle feed.

i know that twins are a whole other ballpark and that i have no experience with multiples so here is some info that i've looked up for you...

Dora, yes nasty stuff can find its way into moms milk but even as your 2nd source states (your first link didn't work for me), breastfeeding is still the safest, and healthiest option. when you say "The only thing that a lot of women don't realize is that if you are going to breast feed/pump you really need to watch your diet as quite a bit of things pass through breast milk" and don't elaborate any further, that could take a woman considering breastfeeding and push her towards a much riskier foodsource: formula. sure, it would be awesome if we could all live a completely toxin free life but its just not possible and a childs best defense against those toxins is Mother's Milk.

i'm sure you are aware that cigarrettes are full of toxins, and carcinogens. studies have shown that even the milk of a chain smoking mother is still the safest and healthiest option for a baby/child. this should speak volumes.

I pumped because my daughter was in the hospital for a week with some complications but at 2 months I had to return to work and it was very time consuming. It took me time to feed her and then another 45 min to an hour to pump. For us, we decided to go to formula only because it was exhausting.

I breast fed my twins until 9 months. I also used formula when I wasn't keeping u, or when I had someone to help feed them (which was about twice a month) or if I was sore etc. Breast is so much easier - even easier than formula. I tried to pump but it creeped me out.

hi, i had given birth to twins early this year and at first they couldn't latch properly to my breasts so i decided to pump milk and just give it to them by bottle. and after a few weeks, i tried giving my breast and they were able to latch perfectly.it is true that it is time consuming to pump milk but you have got feed them one way or another,right?i have exclusively given my twins breastmilk until they were 4 months.after that,they were mixed fed but more of breastmilk than formula.you should try getting a lactation consultant to help you with the feeding and try feeding the twins at the same time.i have done it several times now and it actually looks funny but faster... :-)goodluck!

Oh dear. So many mixed opinions for you to absorb. Can I just say I had twins 4 years ago and was able to breastfeed them for 6 months. I remember thinking I was probably just going to formula feed because it all just seemed like it would be too hard and I wouldn't be able to do it. It is much easier than it sounds like it would be. Personally I would say give it a go first unless there is a reason for not doing it. But this is soley your decision and you can only do what is best and easiest for you. It was actually quite to only feed 1 baby second time around. Don't trick yourself into thinking it will be an impossible task. You will cope the best you can with another toddler in the house when the twins come along. I agree that pumping will be very time consuming. And another little bit of advice is when your babies have finished feeding you can put the pump on to try and get any excess milk that is in there out and this in itself MAY boost your milk supply (everyone is different). Good luck and I hope it all works out for you. Twins are beautiful.

my baby couldn't manage to eat from my breasts, so I had to exclusively pump. I pumped every two hours during the day, for 15 minutes each, and three to four hours at night. It is time consuming, but i wanted her to have my milk. Sometimes I didn't have enough supply and I formula fed. I felt guilty at the time, but now looking at it it was silly feeling that way. it was not because i was not trying! how nice you are having twins! good luck.

First...congratulations on expecting twins! Welcome to the Mother of Twins Club! My boy/girl twins arrived at 32 weeks gestation so they were unable to breastfeed initially. I breastfed or supplied expressed breast milk (pumped) for the first 3 months. As they started eating more I had to start supplementing with formula. There are various methods to do this. Most breastfeeding experts recommend that you do NOT mix formula with breastmilk. The reason is it is only good for an hour after starting the feeding due to bacteria from the baby's mouth. Whereas if it is only breastmilk you could still use it later. However, that being said my breastmilk fed babies would NOT drink formula by itself. So I made the sacrifice of having to "waste liquid gold" and mixed the breastmilk and formula together in the bottle. Pumping alone can affect your milk supply (decrease). Babies are much better at emptying your breast of milk than a machine. So if you plan on pumping alone, you may have to supplement anyways as you may not have enough milk. Personally, I would recommend breastfeeding solely early on as it is very easy to breastfeed both babies at the same time once you get the hang of it. It takes a lot less time to breastfeed two babies simultaneously as it does to pump for 20 min, then bottle feed one baby, and then bottle feed another baby. However, if you have to do it, check out Bonnie Babies website (just google it). They sell this really neat invention where you can bottle feed babies without actually holding the bottle (so you could hold two babies in your arms at once). I did not stumble upon this possibly grand invention until after my twins were holding their own bottles so I can not vouch for this product from personal experience. But...I would have given it a try if I had found it sooner! Also, I forgot to mention one last important thing! You must invest in a good hospital grade like pump to do this! I would recommend the Medela Freestyle or the Pump In Style Advanced. They are expensive, but well worth the money when you think about how much time it will save you. It is a double electric pump. I think that it about it. I would start off trying to give solely breastmilk until you get to the point where you have to supplement. Good luck and just know that whatever breastmilk you are able to give your babies is better than none!

I have been breastfeeding my daughter since she was born but went back to work after a month, so I pump at work and feed her breast milk from the bottle all day and sometimes at night. It is time consuming but you just have to pump every 4 hours and it only takes 15 minutes. I would reccommend getting the Medella pump in style that way you can pump from both at the same time and as you have twins I say it is the only way to go. If you can't produce enough for both then mix in formula and you will be fine but talk to a lacatation specialist as well.

On another note I forgot to add that I used exclusively the First Years Breastflow bottle. That bottle is supposed to be similar to the boob.. That is because the baby has to suck like they would on the boob to get the formula or breast milk out. I wish I had of only found this bottle at day 1 verus a month later. But I still feed good knowing that I did everything I could to give my son breast milk. DO NOT feel like a failure if your milk does not come in fully(it is a normal thing and happens to quite a few women--my doctor told me this when i went to her feeling like I failed). Just do what feels right and works for you best.

Pumping is great and so in nursing! I would definitely invest in an electric double pump because it will make your life so much easier! Breastmilk will make your babies less fussy because it's perfect food for them to digest especially twins because they most likely won't go to 40 weeks. Then I would pump in between nursing and save it in breastmilk bags which you can store in the fridge or freezer. Having a huge stockpile of breastmilk is great! Then you can just put the bag in hot water and thaw and warm it because you should NEVER microwave breastmilk, and even microwaving formula isn't best for your babies. Using a bottle warmer is also helpful. Ask the nurses at the hospital as much as you can about helping you nurse so you can get the hang of it (I'm not sure if you've nursed your first child). I think if you want to nurse then nurse, you will do fine! I think your 14 month old may make things more challenging but you will get your routine down! Just stay committed to nursing and pumping and your babies will be better off. Even if you can nurse for a few months or so whatever you can do will help your babies be healthier! Good luck!

A good resource and support is La Leche League. You can go to their website at http://www.llli.org and find a group near you. At the very least you can talk to one of the leaders. They are very knowledegable about breastfeeding, pumping, etc. And some will even come to your home and help you get going. They can even suggest what pumps are better. And a good book is "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"...I breast fed but I did not have twins...so I'm sure it's a little different. I know women do breastfeed twins (at the same time) so it's doable. What is your reason for wanting to formula feed? Do you think you won't have enough milk? I wish you the best whatever you decide, but I would encourage you to get some support close by. I saw that there is a "forum" tab on that website so you could ask your question there or see if it has already been asked. Have a blessed day : )

My twins were 9 weeks early and in the NICU for 6 weeks. I pumped then - with a rented pump from the hospital. When they came home, I was able to breastfeed my daughter and my son was bottle-fed until he learned to latch on. After that, they were strictly breastfead for well over a year...good luck!

Do you have a Doula - if not I would advise getting one as she can help you both through birth and postpartum with your latch and getting started. Introducing the bottle early on could be hard for those babies, and each ounce of formula is an ounce your body doesn't make ever for those babies. Doctors like to induce twins and not let them go to full term, so getting all the breast milk you can get into those babies is critical.

Let me advise you on something that happened to me. I breastfed my two children for one year and nearly a half. I pumped when I went back to work, but they never had formula. Formula is 1. too expensive to keep up 2. my children were the healthiest children when they breastfed. And when I was penniless it helped them to survive better than me. It helped me lose weight on the two occasions of course I put it backon because I didn't care myself but it helps get you back to where you want to be in weight. After breastfeeding my children went straight to the cup and formula was nowhere in the equation for there are too many babies with gas because of it. I could not stand the high pitch screams that the babies made because the gas hurt them badly with gripe. Save your baby the pain and breastfeed! I notice quite a number of Moms saying that they were unable to breast feed were you not give Latan iron tablets? I was given that to generate milk and boy did I generate milk talk to your doctors about Latan iron tablets and see if you all will be able to breastfeed especially at this time where money is scarce.

In regards to 24 hrs at room temp. Would you drink a glass of milk that had sat at room temp for 24 hours...I think not. If your baby already drank out of it that is even worse. The enzymes in human saliva start to break down the milk.

I don't mean to be contradictory about pumping, but I have had a totally different experience than most of the other women here. I have five children and have done just about every form of feeding them. With my most recent baby, I found that breast feeding took up a lot of time and it was difficult to take care of my other four and do all the other things that needed to be done if I was constantly feeding my baby. She was a very good eater and ate for long periods of time. I found that pumping was faster than breast feeding. The key is an electric pump. I have a wonderful double breast pump that allows me to pump on both sides at once and it only takes me 5-10 minutes to pump in one sitting. I can do this every few hours and have plenty of milk for my baby. I just make sure I stay ahead of my baby's needs,which isn't difficult. I also don't pump at night, I breastfeed. One benefit to pumping is that she doesn't continue to suck on me after she is done eating (a habit of my baby) and make my nipples sore and I know exactly how many ounces she is eating. The biggest benefit is that my other children and my husband can share in the bonding experience of feeding her and I can step away from her for a few minutes and get something done. I have never had twins so I cannot fully relate to your situation, but I am a twin and I understand from my mother that feeding twins is very difficult. If you have a good pump, you can have help with the feedings and be sure each child is getting what they need. My mother said that one difficulty was making sure we had the right balance as one of us preferred the fore-milk and the other the hind-milk. I see no reason why you can't make pumping work for you. You may even find it better than breastfeeding as you still have many of the same benefits. The main thing is to make sure you invest in a good pump. My sisters and I went in together to get the one I use and we take turns using it as we have our babies. Luckily none of us have been nursing at the same time yet. Anyway, there are lots of options for pumps. By the way having a pump can help with engorgement and help prevent breast infection. Good luck.

So you want to only pump and formula feed no actually breast feeding like putting the babies on your breast. Just the pumping? Is that what you mean? Well I am a firm believer in breast feeding although I dont have twins and honestly would die if I did good luck so much work!! My Aunt had twins after already having a 2 year old and successfully breast feed them. It can be done. If its easier to breast feed and formula feed then sure. I cant imagine having twins and although I am a firm believer in beast feeding I would probably break down and just give them bottles. So much easier. But If you are only planning on pumping the milk and giving it to them in bottles and also formula. I have been told by my doctor who is amazing and by multiple lactation specialtists that if you only pump and do not actually let the baby nurse on you you will loose your milk. Pumping is not as stimulating to the milk as actually letting the baby suck it out. So I dont recomend it. I had 2 friends that tryed just pumping and not nursing and they both lost their milk by the time the baby was about 4 months old. So I dont recomend that method. Although if you nurse and bottle feed with formula I dont recomend letting your babies have a bottle for at least the first month or they will decide oh wow the milk comes out so much easier out of the bottle and they wont want to nurse. so get the babies use to nursing then you can introduce the bottle. Good luck thats my advice. Hope that helped

Pumping is hard work yes. I did pump and breast feed with my son (now 2) for almost 8 months, but unfortunately I still did not produce enough for him(I went to lactation for help and ended up having to take reglan and herbal supplements--helped some but not enough). Make sure right after you have them in the hospital they get you a pump right away not 2 days later which happened to me. I also supplemented with formula and it worked for my son. He was born at 7lbs 14oz and at 9 months was 18lbs. Do what feels like the best for you. If you are going to pump make sure to get the hands free bra. It was a life saver for me both for pumping and feedings(I was graced well in that department so my son had a hard time latching on). Good luck to you!

Its the best thing for you and your body and a plus for you baby it's not as hard as look . I pump and did formula and work fulltime you need to sit back and make times for pumping and when baby at home breastfeed her or him when your working or have time pump it's better to pump and feed as much as you can then i did formula when i didnt have time ti pump but it's build up so fast i did more feeding and pumping then formula but make sure you pick the right one for your baby get something that say its close to breast milk that will help ....oh the big plus about pumping or feeding the more you do it the more you loss weight .. I don't know about you but thats was a big plus for me... Good luck and I hope I help you...

That is great you want to do that. I would just recommend to do what you can. I nursed and did formula for 10 months with my second son. I did the same thing for 4 months with my first son. It is hard work but the pay off is so worth it. It is not only healthy for the babies but also for you as well. There are so many benefits to nursing. There are good lactation consultants out there that will be able to help and guide you thru. Good luck!

Just a comment to the last 2 postings Jen and Jennifer.I agree 100% with Jennifer that you should NOT pump at all before labour. During the labour a certain hormone is produced in your body to tell your breast to start producing the colostrum. Colostrum is a thick stick milk where you little ones will need only a drop or 2 to satisfy their hunger.your milk will start coming in after 3-5 days.

To Jennifer... it is a lot easier when it comes to breastfeeding on the breast when you have a singleton.I tried really really hard to do that, but breastfeeding twins is really challenging. you have to stimulate twice as much, and while feeding baby 1 the other one is screaming blue murder if you cannot put them both to the breast. Also you have 2 hands, and to feed one baby you support the baby and the other one your breast or position... but with 2 on the breast.... i needed an extra hand or 2 to manage .. and i struggled.So for me it was much easier to pump with an electrical dubble breastpump (in south africa the best one is Medela), and then put the breastmilk in a bottle so that both twins can be fed at the same time.I also tried to have one bottlefed with breastmilk and put another to the breast, but again you have only 2 hands. Easier holding 2 bottles. My twins got breastmilk until they were 4 months old - although bottle fed, it was still breastmilk - so i feel proud and know i did all i could . i also know i did not do everthing right in the beginning to produce MORE milk, so i did end up supplementing when my breastmilk were just not enough for 2 kids anymore.

But my point is... with multiples it is logistically not so easy to breastfeed both on the breast .

Amanda Sammarco, i just wanted to let you know that it is advised that you do not pump "before the baby comes." breastfeeding causes uterine contractions and can lead to preterm labor in some women.

also, in the first couple of days, a couple of tablespoons is all it takes to fill satisfy them. this is why colostrum is perfect until the milk comes in (typically, 3 to 5 days after delivery) anything over than that is stretching their tummy.

the Jasmine, the OP: if you've noticed, all the responses where women are telling you to go ahead with pumping, you'll notice that most of them say that after a couple of weeks or months they had to switch over to formula all together. this is because pumping does not stimulate milk production the same way baby would and over time you make less and less milk. the AAP recommends EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life (that means no formula, no solids, no cereal, no water), and continued breastfeeding with supplemental solids for at least a year (after that, continued as long as mutually desired). pumping makes meeting this goal very difficult. i am not saying that it cannot be done, but keeping your supply up is a job all in itself. my son turned 1 year old yesterday and i am still pumping breastmilk for him because he never latched. is it a decision i would make again? hell no. my husband and i have a joke that our future children will either take the boob or they wont eat at all because i refuse to formula feed, and i refuse to exclusively pump ever again.

I tried that. It don't work the greatest I had no time for my 4 year old either. I was either making bottles and doing laundry or trying to pump for a half hour every 2 hrs but wasn't putting much out bc I was forgetting to eat and drink which was very important

Hay Jasmine,I have 2 kids - one 4 years old and one 5 months old. I never breastfeeded. Not because I dont want to but because I couldnt.The first thing you want to do in your case is to find an electring breast pump, I recommend pigeon, they are very good and you can regulate not only the speed but also the strenght of suction. It saves a lot of time when you get used to it. But have in mind you will have to pump every 3 hours in the beginning to make sure you start producing milk. If you start adding formula in the first 2-3 weeks your milk will stop eventually because you don`t breastfeed.I have given breats milk to my son for 4 months and it was exausting but it is the best for the child. I advice you to only pump for at least a month. The more you think about your milk the more you have and another thing is that if you are using only pump, it will increase your milk production in the beginning. But when your milk starts to reduce slowly bring in the formula. It is extreemly inportant to give only breast milk in the first 2-3 months because babies grow faster from it, and since you have twins I assume it will be important for them to gain as much weight as possible. Remember to eat well and drink a lot of milk and water, this will help you keep up the milk production. as soon as the babies are born calculate how much milk they eat a day. if they eat i.e 1l of milk a day you have to drink 1l of water and 1 l of milk a day to be sure you give them good food. I wish you all the best and I hope my experience have helped you. Cheers, Lina

I had twins 2 1/2 years ago. I pumped then supplemented with formula for 6 months. I planned on breast feeding but long story short...it wasn't working out so well (my first children) and I was an emotional mess with postpartum depression. It was rough...what no doctor told me until two months in was that exclusive pumping increases your risk of mastitis (breast infections) because pumping doesn't empty the breasts as efficiently as babies do. That's part of the reason why it's so important to get a good pump! I had three bouts of mastitis in 6 months. After feeding them I would pump. Once I got going I pumped 4-5 times a day...after their morning bottle, during both naps, then after they went down at night. My feelings were that if they woke up at night I wasn't going to go warm milk from the refrigerator so they got formula for that bottle (it takes too long to warm milk with two fussing babies and a tired mama. I had the powder prepped, just added warm tap water). I was able to pump enough at some points to freeze some milk. I went back to work part-time at 4 weeks and pumped in my car with a nursing cover during my break (the back of an open/safe but not busy parking lot). As they approached 6 months I had lost a lot weight, was worn out, napping patterns were changing, and they were wanting my attention while I was attached to the pump. The pump is also harder on nipples. My doc prescribed a cream (lanolin plus some anti fungus, anti infection medicine - I think it was called Newman's Cream) that worked wonders and I used those gel cooling pads to soothe.My advice: If you can breastfeed...do it, even if it is only 1-2 times a day! If not, get the best pump you can get your hands on and eat and drink a ton! If you suspect any mastitis, get into a doctor ASAP, the longer you wait the worse it gets.Something to remember...formulas are better than ever before, don't feel guilty if you have to switch to formula! There are mom of twins groups that are very supportive! Look for a local one or the Facebook groups.

Well I don't know much about the pumping part, but I couldn't produce enough milk when my baby was born. So I was advised to let him suck on each side for 5 - 7 minutes and then I would give him a bottle afterwards. Hope that helps!

I pumped and bottle fed my twin girls. I first put them to the breast and pumped what was left and froze it for later. I would give each one breast per feeding. If they still acted hungry I would formula feed the rest of the meal. I traded breasts with each baby ervery other feeding. It was a challenge. I only lasted 6 mos and then went to formula feeding only. It's well worth the effort.

i nurse, pump & formula feed. i nurse when its convenient, pump when im at work or too full & give formua if were on the run somewhere or im not producing enough. you can actually start pumping before they come to get your supply stimulated. when theyre 1st born, they'll only need about 1 ounce at a time, so only freeze that amount in a breast milk storage bag or you'll waste the rest

Hi Jasmine, hope you are not too confused with all the answers provided to you.I am a mom of twin girls, and i felt very strong to breastfeed since everyone tells you that BF is best.Unfortunately with twins its very difficult to put them both to the breast - so pumping is a much easier option - and others can help you. It doesnt take a lot of time - make sure you buy one of these "double" breastpumps, so you can pump both breasts at the same time. It takes 10 minutes (my breast feeding consultants said that 10 minutes is the max you should pump).I pumped every day after i put my girls down for a sleep, i would pump my 10 minutes, put the milk in bottles (or storage if you have lots -which i did not have), and its ready for the next feed.If you put your twins in a good strict routine you will have lots of time for pumping and still be able to rest.I managed to bottle breastfeed up to 4 months - unfortunately i did not have enough milk for both kids due to many reasons, so had to also supplement - but today i can feel proud that i tried my best to breastfeed - even though it was through bottle - and the pumping made it so much easier.Good luck

I wouldn't formula feed for anything if you can avoid it. There have been some links between the sugars that are in formulas to childhood diabetes. Breast milk is SO much better for babies. On average, breast fed children have higher IQs and better immune systems. There are so many health benefits to breast feeding. I would NOT put formula in my baby! Hope your delivery goes well and you have a healthy baby. Be Blessed.

Wow that is alot of work (three little ones so close in age)! Breast on demand is the easiest (nothing to extra wash). I have a friend who nursed twins (no formula at all). Perhaps check out the book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Le Leche League - should be at the library if you don't want to buy it. Nursing twins will take alot of time, but view it as time to relax, which you will need anyway. Don't worry about getting anything else accomplished, this time is short in the long run, even though it feels like it will never end. Unless you need to be away from them for stretches of time, the pump is only a hassle. An extra step you don't need to spend your time on. Nursing on demand (no set schedule to feeding) will ensure an adequate supply of milk, but you must make sure to eat PLENTY of food and drink LOTS of WATER so that your body can make all of the milk it needs to. Good luck and enjoy! (BTW, I've had five kids and used all three - breast, pump, formula - techniques, for various reasons.)

I have been there done that I understand your concern completely. My boys were in hospital for 4 weeks once they arrived I pumped due to them getting too tired to nurse and ended up pumping for 2 1/2 months after they came home because they refused to latch on. I soon came to the realization that if I wanted to sleep, eat or bathe I would have to go formula since they ate ALL the time and would end up giving me a total of 15 minutes in between feedings. I also had a 22 month old at the time. I would suggest that you can try to nurse and pump, freeze the milk and this may give you some rest in between feeds. It is not easy but you will do what you need to do in the end. Remember there is NOTHING wrong with formula feeding. I could not keep up with the boys and their desire to eat. I also realized that life was too short I was missing out on my daughter because of having to feed and pump all of the time. Facebook me if you need to talk or check out a multiple group in your area they have awesome resources and will know exactly what you are going through.

One thing about using breast milk is that your body makes as much as it needs. If you supplement with formula your body will not make as much breast milk. I would suggest contacting a lactation consultant or someone from the La Leche League for further assistance in this matter.

Hi, I am a mother of 3 and grandma of 6, i also work in a preschool now for 35 years,It can be done and it can be done very easy. Just pump what you can then supp. the formula. At first the baby might not want to take the formula from you because they know your smell, have dad or someone else try. I have a little one in my class who does this and she does fine, we use the pumped milk first then we use formula. It is harder on the mom then the kids. Tammy

Hi Jasmine, having to take care of a toddler and the twin is a lot of work, I am not sure if you would have time to pump. If you could breastfeed your twin, instead of pump, that will save a lot of time and more convinient. Only pump when you're unable to breastfeed them but still want to keep your milk supply up. I am trying to pump for my 7 month baby and taking care of a 4 year old, it is a lot of work, and i work full time. If you pump, use the pump every 2-3 hours to keep your supply up. Good luck. Nickie

Well I breast fed and formula fed my children. I breast fed and pumped during the day. And when it was time to go to bed I formula fed so they could sleep better. When ever they got a formula bottle I made sure I pumped so my milk supply would not go down.

I guess I am the only one that thinks pumping was easier. My child had a hard time latching properly and was VERY slow. I had an expensive electric pump and could pump 8 oz from each breast in 10-12 min, and my child would drink a bottle in about the same time which was a BIG improvement for me, and dad could help which is nice. I did the pump and freeze thing, and started cutting back the breast bottles when I went back to work, and supplemented with formula. I guess the bottom line is you have to experiment some, and find what works best for you and your family.

When i had my twins i breast fed, pumped and used formula. I would pump between feedings especially at night. Your body will produce better if you actually breast feed. But pumping is nice because it allows dad to help out more than just getting up at night and bringing baby to you. I supplimented with formula when i just wasn't producing enough for both of them, but always fed the breast milk first, never mix the breast milk and formula, and never microwave. If you aren't comfortable breastfeeding at least pumping will get your twins the immunity that your breast milk will provide.

Many moms tandem nurse twins. Have you considered this option? Nurse on one side and pump the other at the same time. You can bottle feed the pumped milk to the other baby. Switch back and forth between which baby is at the breast at each feeding. Some moms nurse both babies at the same time using the football hold. With a 14 month old in the home I understand it can be hard to take time to nurse twins, but if you are prepared you can do it! Maybe make a small box of age appropriate toys to keep the 14 mo busy while you nurse? If you do choose to introduce formula try to wait until they are several weeks old, so you can establish your milk supply for the twins, to make sure you can pump enough to feed them both with the expressed milk. Good luck! And congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your sweet babies!

My daughter refused the breast, so I pumped as long as I could about six months, but it wasn't enough. So I ended up doing 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula in her bottles, (moojuice is what we called it). It was time consuming, but this way my husband was able to feed my daughter while I pumped and eventually got enough bottles together every day that I would have a daily supply that we could grab and go when feeding came. Good luck!

Only use formula if your breastmilk is low in supply.However the ratio of formula to milk should be less so that your babies have more of your breastmilk as thats the best option for your babies.I did both for my son and it went well.Just ensure that breastmilk is your first option and then you could suppliment with formula.

I had a hard time both pumping and finding the time to pump. I breast fed and gave formula for the first 4 months. One of my boys had a very hard time latching on and born 5 weeks early I figured doing it all was best. Get a good pump if you are going to do this I wouldnt spend hundreds tho and I liked manual better it was more natural feeling than the electric. I had to go through 3 pumps before finding the right one for me. I ended up using this one and finally got pumping downhttp://www.breastpumpsdirect.com/Avent_I...

Hi Jasmine, I have 7 yr old twins and I did pump and formula feed them but only because I didn't have enough milk to breast feed both. I agree with Erin, pumping is very time consuming especially as you have another little one to look after (I had a 3 yr old too and found it difficult to juggle the time.) I would recommend breastfeeding, if you can:)I wish you all the best....twins are so much fun after the 1st yr:) Enjoy!

hi try and get to a lalesh legue meeting if you can there should be one in your earia they are a non profit org that help mums breastfead and they have heaps of info and they will be able to give you you the best info!